Occupants not Wearing Seatbelts in Palmdale Accident that Killed Two, Injured Three Others

Seatbelts have been proven to lessen the number of fatalities in accidents. In fact, a lot of victims of car accidents have attributed their survival to their seatbelts.

Needless to say, the neglect of using these safety devices can have serious consequences like what happened in a recent accident.

According to reports, a pick-up broadsided an out-of-control Mercedes in Palmdale which resulted to two deaths and injuries of three other occupants. No one among the vehicle occupants was wearing their seatbelts when the accident happened.

The northbound Mercedes was reportedly speeding along the northbound lanes of Sierra Highway when its driver, a 35-year-old man from Palmdale, lost control and veered to the opposite lanes where it was hit by a southbound pick-up.

The impact of the collision killed the Mercedes driver and his 26-year-old female passenger. A 4-year-old girl who was said to be at the backseat was thrown off the vehicle. She sustained minor injuries and was taken to a hospital.

Both occupants of the pickup, on the other hand, were not as lucky as Lancaster man Miguel Lugo, 38, and a Palmdale woman identified as 26-year-old Erika Espitia were hospitalized with serious injuries.

Though it was raining in the area when the accident occurred, authorities have ruled out weather as a factor in the crash.

Though speeding and the driver’s negligence is believed to be the main cause of the accident, the fatalities and serious injuries could have been avoided if only those involved where wearing their seatbelts.

To prevent fatal vehicle accidents like this, drivers must make sure that his passengers are wearing their seatbelts before driving away.

A simple precaution like this can save lives and minimize the seriousness of injuries that can be incurred in accidents like this.

16-Year Old Crashes Big Rig in Mobile Home Park

Obviously, big rigs are dangerous – its size has the potential to cause greater damage and destruction in case of an accident. Now imagine a 16-year old driving it -- worst idea ever, right?

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) are now investigating a big rig crash in Lake View Terrace after it drove into a mobile home park. While fortunately, no one was injured, the accident was said to have been caused by a 16-year old boy at the wheel of the big rig.

The big rig truck was reportedly hauling whipped cream and a 20-year old was supposed to be driving. However, according to CHP Officer Francisco Villalobos, the 20-year old driver had gotten tired so he let his 16-year old brother drive. Two of his brothers, a 14 and 3 year old were also in the big rig with him when it crashed.

Some 300 miles from Livingston south to Ontario, the crash occurred in Foothill Boulevard at around 3:39 in the morning. Authorities believe that the 16-year old unlicensed driver fell asleep while driving. The brothers initially tried to say that the eldest was driving however they later admitted that the 16-year old was driving when the accident occurred.

A homeowner in the mobile park said that the big rig could have easily taken down his family’s bedrooms when it crashed.

Driving a car safely and responsibly is hard enough – more so for a big rig or large truck that could weigh more than 10,000 pounds. In fact, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, operating large trucks or buses need special skills and professionalism on the part of the driver. Standards and safety rules are actually even higher for commercial trucks -- federal regulations require carriers to test all commercial drivers for drugs before employment, after crashes, and on a random basis. Drivers with BACs at or above 0.04 percent are disqualified from driving.

The failure to operate the big rig safely is not just the liability of the driver. Under the law, even the trucking company can be made to pay damages for any injuries or property damage caused by their employee.

In this case, even if it wasn’t their employee who caused the crash but his 16-year old brother, the trucking company can still be held liable for the accident under the principle of vicarious liability. A truck accident attorney will be able to provide you more information on big rig crashes and damages.

Entertainment Company Agrees to Settle in EEOC Discrimination Case

Business owners should keep in mind that their reputation will be tainted by any complaints brought forward by their employees.

To prevent this, there must be company policies regarding discrimination and compensation to guide workers and employers of how these issues should be dealt with.

A recent settlement involves a premier entertainment company in Richmond who faced charges filed by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2009 for discriminating two of their employees.

The Paper Moon’s ownership was sued by EEOC after it allegedly discriminated against two of its black employees and subjected them to retaliation each time they complained about the unfair practice.

Desmond Lawrence and Rock Georges were working as doormen at the Florida-based strip club when they were asked by the management to work the back door so that they can’t be seen by customers of the club.

According to the lawsuit, each time someone complains about the policy, the management either cuts their working hours or wrongfully terminates them.

In the settlement, the paper Moon had agreed to pay Lawrence and Georges $95,000 to compensate for their back pays and compensate the damages that resulted from the incident.

Aside from the monetary compensation, the owner of the company, Frazier Boyd, also agreed to release a written policy regarding anti-discrimination in the strip club.

This written policy to be issued by Boyd must be implemented not only in his strip club in Stuart, Florida but to his other place of businesses and clubs as well to guarantee to EEOC that unfair and discriminatory practices won’t happen again.

This latest settlement proves that complainants don’t have to go through lengthy court proceedings just so they can be compensated for their losses and to make sure that the company won’t engage in the unfair practice again.